The Cat Empire is a six-piece alternative band from Melbourne, Australia. T… Read Full Bio ↴The Cat Empire is a six-piece alternative band from Melbourne, Australia. Their sound has been described as a fusion of jazz, funk, and rock with heavy Latin / Salsa influences (not to mention reggae, ska and dub). Currently, the Cat Empire consists of Ollie McGill (keyboard and backing vocals), Ryan Monro (bass and backing vocals), Felix Riebl (percussion and vocals), Harry James Angus (trumpet and vocals), Will Hull-Brown (drums), and Jamshid "Jumps" Khadiwhala (decks, percussion). A strong, recurrent theme of their music is the rejection of materialism, war, and intolerance and an enthusiastic embrace of cultural diversity and the simple, carefree life.

The Cat Empire began as a trio with McGill, Riebl, and Monro in late 1999, and started playing a wide variety of gigs in Melbourne. The band soon expanded in 2001, adding Angus, Hull-Brown, and Khadiwala.

THE Cat Empire's message, on stage and in the studio, has always been about breaking down borders: musical, geographic, lingual. But they have never done it so powerfully as they do on their new album, Cinema. The album serves up a set which captures the inexorable force - and sheer joy - of their live performances, delivered in a format perfect for lounge-rooms, backyards, BBQ’s, cafes, road trips and parties all over the world.

Cinema, the band's fourth studio album, is a dazzling statement of a band at a peak of its powers, music designed to move the body and the mind. Right from the opening track, Waiting, this is music that leaps from the speakers.

All the elements that people love about The Cat Empire are there but the result is brighter, bolder. And yes, more cinematic. What grabs the ear immediately is that this is not a band playing with genres. In the past, The Cat Empire dived in to any musical style which took their fancy, from reggae to salsa, Latin to hip-hop. Cinema reveals a band that has developed an emphatic voice that is all their own.

``That's a sound that has emerged out of nearly 10 years of playing on stage together,'' says singer and percussionist Felix Riebl. ”The result is an album that's much more integrated than anything we've done before, with a Cat Empire sound that runs consistently through it. The lyrics are perhaps darker, but they are accompanied by music that is uplifting which gives it a strange but powerful feeling.''

Riebl adds: “At times the album is thoughtful, at times it makes you just forget and dance. But it is an album that has more sonic depth than we've ever had before, experimental in parts but with really direct choruses. It's going to be a great album to play live, especially on big stages and at festivals.''

Of course, the stage is never far from the thoughts of this band. In an age when so much of selling music seems to be about celebrity and fashion, The Cat Empire have risen to be one of Australia and indeed the worlds favourite live acts through sheer musicality and the power of their interaction on stage. The band - Riebl, Vocalist and trumpeter Harry Angus, keys player Ollie McGill, bassist Ryan Monro, drummer Will Hull-Brown and Jamshid Khadiwala (aka ‘Jumps’) on decks - played their 700th show in Amsterdam last year, and will hit the 800 mark in 2010. While it is not well known in Australia, The Cat Empire are one of the country's most successful musical exports, doubling their audience numbers at every return stop.

They have headlined some of the world's biggest music festivals, including Summersonic (Japan), Rock am Ring (Germany) and V Fest (UK), playing Bonnaroo (US) as well as to an audience of 300,000 at the Montreal Jazz Festival. They have also played on some of world's highest rating entertainment shows, including Dave Letterman and Jay Leno. This year their worldwide tour in support of the international release of Cinema will see them return to Canada, US, Europe, Japan and the UK, where they will play to a full house at London's Brixton Academy.

The knowledge that they would be playing songs from the new album on so many big stages focused the song writing sessions for Cinema. The album was recorded close to home at Sing Sing studios in Melbourne with producer Steve Schram, and he encouraged them to make an album that was their most collaborative song writing effort yet.

``That was a deliberate decision from all of us,'' says the lion of the live show - Vocalist and Trumpeter Harry Angus. ``With six people in the band sometimes there will be a song on an album that not everyone wants to play live. This album certainly gets around that problem. And I think that after so many years playing together the guys are much more confident about contributing to the writing. Steve encouraged us to do that. That's been great for us.''

Of working with The Cat Empire, Schram says “it was the perfect studio scenario; amazing players open to trying anything and willing to take a back seat when required. Egos were left at the door.” He adds “In terms of musicianship, it's no secret that they don't come much better than The Cat Empire. Yet Cinema shows that simplicity and one well placed note packs more of a punch and serves the song far more than musical chops alone. We set out to explore in depth the mood and character of each song while maintaining a focus on performance rather than studio trickery. “

After taking their longest break from studio recording after the release of 2007's So Many Nights, the band reconvened feeling refreshed. ``In 2008 we took a break from touring for 8 months. Then in 2009 we released our (live album) Live on Earth” Riebl says. ``When we came back to the band, and then into the studio we all rediscovered what we loved about The Cat Empire in the first place; that it is a band that can do the unexpected, that we have great energy and make music that is always a lot of fun to play on stage. The feeling right now is just like when we were starting out. We're all very excited about that.''

Cinema will be released ...
JUNE 25, AUSTRALIA
JUNE 29, CANADA
JULY 6, USA
AUGUST 2010, EUROPE & JAPAN

See www.thecatempire.com for tours and information

Beanni
The Cat Empire Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

His name was Beanni
Say where you been Beanni
I saw you on your skateboard
But I never saw your face
Just saw your beanie
- Beanni

Her name was Fly Girl

Say where you been Fly Girl
I seen you shake your mmm-boobie
But I never saw your face
Just saw your fly sunglasses
In the night
And in the day

One day that Beanni
Was cruising down the street
On his skateboard
And his Beanni eyes did look and see
That fine freaky Fly Girl
And that Fly Girl who was dancing
Like only Fly Girl could
Did notice one cruisy Beanni
Flying right to where she stood

And then that Fly Girl was
A'scream and laughing at the same time
And till that Beanni
Did fly and fall and crash into her side
And both of them did fall
And roll around on their arses
But then his beanie fell off
And so did her round glasses
Beanni reached down
And picked up Fly Girl's glasses
From the ground
And Fly Girl did grab Beanni's
Beanie that she found
And she gave him back his beanie
Said 'I like you with your beanie on'
And he did say 'your big black glasses
Look so sexy on'

They got together
Forever and ever after that
And had some little Beanni Fly Girl
And Fly Girl Beanni boys
Gave them glasses for their eyes
And Beanni beanies for their heads

And now the Beanni family's dancing
Till the day they're dead

Overall Meaning

The Cat Empire's song "Beanni" tells the story of two anonymous people, Beanni and Fly Girl, who are drawn to each other by their clothing accessories. Beanni is described as a person who skateboards down the street, wearing a beanie on his head that covers his face, while Fly Girl is described as a dancing woman who wears fly sunglasses at night and during the day. Despite their anonymity, Beanni spots Fly Girl while skateboarding, and she sees him flying towards her before they both tumble to the ground. The collision causes Beanni's beanie and Fly Girl's sunglasses to fall off, and as they help each other retrieve their fallen items, they realize they share an attraction for each other's accessories. This small exchange leads to a romantic relationship and eventually, a family.

The lyrics of the song emphasize the power of small details and how they can allure and attract people to each other. Beanni and Fly Girl never meet until their accessories become the reason for their interaction. The song underlines the idea that sometimes, our attire can tell more about us than our face ever will, and all it takes is a small detail to ignite a connection.

Line by Line Meaning

His name was Beanni
Introducing the character of the story

Say where you been Beanni
Asking Beanni where he's been recently

I saw you on your skateboard
Explaining how the singer came across Beanni

But I never saw your face
The artist never saw Beanni's face before

Just saw your beanie - Beanni
The artist only recognized Beanni by the beanie on his head

Her name was Fly Girl
Introducing the female protagonist of the story

Say where you been Fly Girl
Asking Fly Girl where she's been before

I seen you shake your mmm-boobie
The artist witnessed Fly Girl dancing in a provocative manner

But I never saw your face
The artist never saw Fly Girl's face before

Just saw your fly sunglasses in the night and in the day
The artist only recognized Fly Girl by her sunglasses, which she wore both in the day and at night

One day that Beanni was cruising down the street, on his skateboard
Explaining what Beanni was doing when he encounters Fly Girl

And his Beanni eyes did look and see that fine freaky Fly Girl
Beanni finally catches sight of Fly Girl and finds her attractive

And that Fly Girl who was dancing like only Fly Girl could, did notice one cruisy Beanni flying right to where she stood
Fly Girl also notices Beanni heading towards her

And then that Fly Girl was a'scream and laughing at the same time
Fly Girl is excited and amused by Beanni's arrival

And till that Beanni did fly and fall and crash into her side
Beanni accidentally crashes into Fly Girl, causing them both to fall

And both of them did fall and roll around on their arses
Describing the physical interaction between Beanni and Fly Girl

But then his beanie fell off, and so did her round glasses
Both Beanni's beanie and Fly Girl's glasses fall off during the tumble

Beanni reached down and picked up Fly Girl's glasses from the ground
Beanni helps Fly Girl retrieve her glasses that fell off during the fall

And Fly Girl did grab Beanni's beanie that she found
Fly Girl reciprocates by picking up and returning Beanni's beanie

And she gave him back his beanie, said 'I like you with your beanie on'
Fly Girl compliments Beanni and returns his beanie with a compliment

And he did say 'your big black glasses look so sexy on'
Beanni also compliments Fly Girl on her glasses

They got together forever and ever after that, and had some little Beanni Fly Girl and Fly Girl Beanni boys
Describing the couple's future together and their children

Gave them glasses for their eyes, and Beanni beanies for their heads
The couple gives their children glasses and beanies, showing their fondness for those accessories

And now the Beanni family's dancing till the day they're dead
The family is dancing joyfully together for the rest of their days

Contributed by Muhammad H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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